Flight of Freedom
by PuppyPadfoot
Summary: Sorry this chapter took so long! Well, the plot thickens and Satoshi and Daisuke come face to face with the fake!Dark. But before they can get any answers, he escapes! Will they get any closer to finding out who the mysterious thief is? R
1. Prelude

**Prelude**

It had been two years since the incident of the Black Wings. Two years since Dark and Krad had both been sealed away. Two years since the earthquake and the subsequent rebuilding of the waterfront. Two years, and yet it seemed – to Daisuke anyway – that not a lot had happened. He was now in high school and still with Riku Harada, the young girl who became his own Sacred Maiden. He was still friends with Risa Harada (Riku's twin sister), best friends with Takeshi Saehara, and becoming better friends with Satoshi Hiwatari with each passing day. Life, all around, was normal for Daisuke Niwa. And yet –

"Niwa!" The voice of Riku rang out like a bell as the red-haired boy entered the classroom, making it just in time before the start of class.

"Miss Riku!" There was happiness in Daisuke's voice as Riku sprang forward to hug him tightly. His arms wrapped around her body tightly, face buried in her neck as he breathed in her scent.

"Niwa, I'm so glad you're finally here," she said as she pulled back, a broad smile painting her face. "I can't believe the school let you miss a whole week of class."

"That's because Daisuke's always been teacher's pet," said Saehara as he pulled Daisuke into a neck lock and messed his hair.

"Saehara," Daisuke whined as he pulled away, trying to fix his hair to no avail. "Hey, I brought you back some souvenirs from our trip."

Takeshi's eyes widened. "Yeah! What did you get me!" He grabbed Daisuke's bag and began to loot it. Daisuke rubbed the back of his head, embarrassed, and looked to Riku. "They're at home," he said finally. "I barely had time to unpack before I passed out last night." Riku smiled lovingly at him and stood on her tiptoes to kiss Daisuke on the cheek before she moved to sit in her seat.

"Look! Niwa's back!" Exclaimed Risa as she skipped into the classroom. Satoshi wasn't far behind her. "Niwa! How was your vacation?" Her voice was lilting and happy and her brown hair was tied back halfway in a bow.

"Oh, it was good. I have a lot of pictures and souvenirs for everyone."

"I've always wanted to go to Greece. I think it's so romantic." Risa continued with stars in her eyes as she clasped her hands in front of her heart. "Don't you think so, Hiwatari?"

She looked over her shoulder at the blue-haired boy who strolled casually to his seat. His hands were lying in his pockets lazily but there was a smile upon his face, a smile that would have been extinct two years ago.

"Good to see you, Niwa," he said as he sat down in the seat in front of Daisuke's desk. "You've missed a lot in a week." He pulled out his notebook and began to doodle in the corner. 

"Satoshi, you didn't answer my question," Risa said with a pout.

"Yes, it's romantic. I'll take you one day." He answered with a sly grin. He and Risa had been dating for almost a year now. Risa smiled brightly and sat in her seat that was next to Satoshi.

"Niwa, we have a new student," Riku said in a whisper as she leaned over toward Daisuke. Her finger pointed toward a dark-haired girl that was in a seat a few rows away. "Her name's Maya Hattori and that's all we know about her. She's real quiet – keeps to herself most of the time."

Daisuke's brown eyes glanced over toward the girl with shoulder-length hair. She seemed normal enough even if a bit intent on the school day. She sat in her desk very upright with her eyes glancing forward at the teacher that now stood at the front of the classroom. The teacher called the class to attention and Riku leaned back to her desk leaving Daisuke alone once more. For some reason he couldn't take his eyes off the new girl who carried a mysterious aura. He blinked his eyes a few times, the words that the teacher was speaking seemed nothing more than background noise to the draw the girl held.

And then she turned around, green eyes standing out brightly amidst the dark locks that framed her face. Her skin was that of strawberries and cream and her lips were the color of a soft, pink rosebud. She kept her gaze upon Daisuke for what seemed forever and then –

And then she smiled.


	2. Chapter 1: Rise of a new Dark

**Chapter 1: Rise of a new Dark**

"Mom, I'm home!" Daisuke entered the house and made a beeline for the kitchen where his father and grandfather were seated. "Where's mom?"

"It's nice to see you too, Daisuke," said Kosuke Niwa sarcastically. He took a sip of his coffee and continued reading the newspaper. Daisuke's grandfather smiled at his grandson and chuckled.

"Oh Daisuke, your mother and Towa went out to buy groceries. They should be back soon."

"Mom and Towa went out for groceries?" He asked as he grabbed a drink from the refrigerator. "They'll be gone forever!" He settled into the chair across from his father and sighed.

"How was school, Daisuke?" Asked Kosuke.

"Fine… long… I'm so tired" he whined.

Daiki laughed. "That's what you get for being on vacation so long with your parents, Daisuke."

"I wish you could've come with us, Grandpa," Daisuke replied.

"Oh no, I'm much too old to endure such a long flight. No no, Towa and I had fun here at home. Didn't we, Towa?"

Daisuke looked over his shoulder to see his mother and Towa returning with arms full of groceries.

"Dai, you're home early today," said Emiko. "You didn't go over to Riku's house?"

Daisuke blushed. "No mom, she had practice after school."

"And what about Takeshi?" She asked in continuation.

"He's out taking photos and Risa and Satoshi went out for a walk," he offered before she could ask again.

"Oh I see, well, it's just as well. You and your father can fix the front door for me. It keeps sticking for some reason."

"Yes dear," Kosuke answered as he rose to his feet. "Come on, Daisuke. Let's get it done before dinner."

Daisuke nodded and followed his father to the front door.

"Now let's see what's wrong with this thing," Kosuke said as Daisuke stood against the wall just outside the door. He opened and closed the door a few times before he stood upright to scratch his head. "Hrm, I don't think there's anything wrong with it? Maybe your mother's just imagining it, eh Daisuke?"

There was no answer.

"Daisuke?" Kosuke looked over at his son who now seemed to be memorized by something just down the road. "Dai… what's the matter?"

Kosuke looked up and followed his son's gaze to a girl that stood several feet down the street. Her black hair wisped across her face as the wind blew before she turned around and disappeared from view.

"Who was that, Dai?"

"She's in my class," Daisuke answered. "Her name's Maya. She's new."

"Oh," Kosuke said as his eyes narrowed. "She has a strange aura around her," he added.

"You think so, dad?" Daisuke looked back the spot where Maya stood.

Kosuke nodded. "It's strange… but familiar…" He was quiet for a few moments before a smile crossed his face. "There's nothing to fix here," he said, indicating toward the door. "Let's go back inside."

----

* * *

----

"So I'm sending my photo into a postcard contest. If I win, they'll use my photo and pay me a thousand dollars!" Takeshi said excitedly as he showed everyone the photo he was going to submit to the contest, a landscape scene of their town with the windmills in the distance.

"That's a great photo, Saehara," Riku said excitedly. "There's no way you can lose!"

"Thanks Harada! Hey Daisuke! Check this out," Takeshi said as he spied Daisuke coming into the classroom. He shoved the photo into Niwa's hand and slung an arm over his shoulders. "Whaddya think? Could it win first prize in a contest."

Daisuke's eyes widened and he nodded. "Wow Saehara, this photo is great! You know, if you let me have a copy, I could do a painting of it." Takeshi's eyes widened.

"Yeah, that's a GREAT idea! I'll get right on it!" He took the photo away from Daisuke and began to show it to a group of girls at the front of the classroom. Daisuke smiled and shook his head as he moved to his desk.

"Niwa," said a deep voice behind him. Daisuke turned around.

"Hiwatari," he said happily before he noticed the dark look upon the blue-haired boy's face. "Is something wrong?"

"Come with me," he said as he turned upon his heel.

"Huh," Daisuke said as he followed Satoshi out of the classroom. He entered the empty hallway and walked around the corner where he found Satoshi looking out one of the windows. Daisuke approached his friend slowly – warily – until he was standing next to him. He noticed a piece of paper clutched tightly in Satoshi's hand.

"What is it, Hiwatari?"

"Niwa, this was delivered to the police department this morning," he said as he held out the piece of paper. Daisuke reached out for it gingerly and unfolded it. His eyes widened as he read it aloud.

"I will be stealing Heaven's Tears tomorrow at midnight. Try to stop me if you can. Signed, The Phantom Thief Dark!"


	3. Chapter 2: Searching in the Dark

**Chapter 2: Searching in the Dark**

Daisuke could hardly believe his eyes as he read the note in his hand.

"Wha-What," he finally managed to utter. "I don't understand."

"Neither do I," Satoshi said with narrowed eyes. "Niwa, I need you to be honest with me. Did you write that note?"

"Hiwatari…" Daisuke didn't know what to say. "My mom usually wrote the notes for Dark back then but, No… NO! I…we… didn't write this note!" He gripped onto the piece of paper tightly. "I … You know that Dark and Krad were both sealed in the Black Wings. There's no way… "His brown eyes were wrought with confusion as he looked down at the note.

"Dark…" Daisuke said quietly. He wouldn't admit it to anyone but he did miss his other half; the other half of himself that taught him how to be brave, to stand up to his true feelings, and how to have fun. The person who quickly became one of his closest confidants, the part of himself he could never forget. The part that he oftentimes wished he had back.

"Niwa," began Satoshi, pulling Daisuke out of his reverie. "The department doesn't know about that note yet. I intercepted it before anyone else could see it." He pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose as his eyes gazed out the window. "I want you to come with me tomorrow night to the museum. If this is a hoax, then we'll find out about it first and catch the culprit. If not, then we have to find out if Dark somehow escaped the Black Wings. And if he did then-"

Daisuke looked up and nodded. "Then Krad may have as well." The red-haired boy sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I have to admit that I don't believe it's Dark. I mean, if he had come back I would have sensed him and I haven't felt anything."

"Neither have I," Satoshi said. "But that doesn't mean it's not possible." He stepped towards Daisuke and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Look, we'll find out tomorrow night for sure whether or not Dark sent that note or if a copycat did."

"Right," Daisuke said as he looked over his shoulder. "And we better get back to class before we get in trouble for being out here."

Satoshi laughed. "You forget I don't _have_ to be here. So I can't really get into trouble, now can I?"

"I don't think I'll ever understand why you come here if you don't have to," Daisuke replied with a sigh as they walked back to their classroom

----

* * *

----

"Daisuke, Maya, you two are up next!"

Daisuke moved to the white chalk line on the track and bent over to stretch his legs. He glanced over at Maya who came to stand next to him. She interlaced her hands behind her back and stretched them out before she looked over at Daisuke from the corner of her eyes. She smiled slightly and knelt down into a starting position.

"You'll be running this obstacle course," said the gym teacher gruffly. "You'll be trying to beat your previous time as well as trying to beat the person you're racing against."

Daisuke looked at the course in front of him, a mish-mash of tires and monkey bars and ropes that swing over puddles of mud; nets that you crawl under and climb on like a spider, ending finally in a huge climbing wall and a sliding rope apparatus leading to a large, air-filled mattress. A smirk crossed Daisuke's face – he hadn't done anything like this since the training his mother put him through and since Dark had been sealed. There was a part of the young boy that knew he was going to enjoy this.

"Good luck," said the Maya softly as she waited in her crouching position.

Daisuke looked over at Maya, who had her hair pulled back in a ponytail this time around. She looked so focused and determined. Daisuke almost felt sorry for her because there was no way she could beat him considering the training he had in the past. And before either Daisuke or Maya realized, the air gun went off indicating the start of the race.

"Oh, I hope Niwa wins. Don't you, Riku?" Risa asked as she bounced excitedly on the balls of her feet.

"I know he'll win," Riku said under her breath. She knew of Daisuke's previous life and his alter ego of Dark. She knew that Daisuke was more than capable of handling the course easily.

But the race wasn't turning out as everyone expected. Maya was keeping up with Daisuke inch for inch. The tire course was easy enough, their feet going in and out of the tires with skill and ease. Next was the monkey bars, but instead of climbing the ladder up to the bars themselves, Maya leapt from the ground and grabbed onto the first bar. Daisuke's eyes widened as he did the same, making up the distance that Maya had put in between them.

"_Wow, she's good,"_ Daisuke thought as he found himself actually struggling to keep up with her. Satoshi in the meantime watched stoically from the stands. He found it interesting that the new girl seemed very skilled in such arduous tasks, as if she had some experience in it before. He also noticed that she was surrounded by a mysterious aura, one that exuded some kind of power. It captured his interest as well as his suspicions.

The two students were almost done with the race as they were faced with the climbing wall which was at least 25 feet high. Both Maya and Daisuke were breathing heavily but neither was ready to give up. Maya placed a hand on the first ledge and began to pull herself up. She looked over her right shoulder at Daisuke who had started to climb as well.

"Come on, Niwa. I know you can do better than that." Her green eyes twinkled mischievously as she continued to climb. Daisuke took the statement as a challenge and began to move faster up the wall. The two were neck in neck as they reached the top and as they slid down the rope on the handlebars. They landed on the air mattress and the gym teacher clocked their time.

"That's amazing! You both finished the course in less than five minutes! No one's ever done that before!"

Maya rolled off the air mattress, her chest heaving heavily from the exercise.

"Good job, Niwa," she said as she held out a hand to him as he got off the mattress.

"Huh… uh yeah… thanks." Daisuke said with a blush as he took Maya's hand. Suddenly, the young boy felt the power that everyone said the girl possessed. In his mind, he heard a mysterious voice. It was garbled at first consisting of nothing more than what sounded like a song being sung in the distance. And then he heard it.

"_Come out, Dark Mousy…"_


	4. Chapter 3: Snowfall of Feathers

**Disclaimer: I forgot to put this in the earlier (because I'm a goofball) - so hopefully it will count now. ahem I do not own, in any way, shape, or form, D.N.Angel or the characters within it, except for the ones that I have made in order to create a new plot. I hope you all enjoy the story!**

**Chapter 3: Snowfall of Feathers**

Daisuke was in a daze for the rest of the day. Who was that voice he heard when he touched Maya's hand and what did it all mean? Did Maya know that he was Dark in the past? Was she going to use that information against him somehow? Needless to say, the young boy was very worried.

"Dai?"

No answer.

"Hey Daisuke?"

Still nothing.

"Niwa!" Riku's voice was shrill and tinged with playful anger. It was enough to rouse Daisuke from his thoughts.

"Huh? Oh sorry, Miss Riku," he said as he looked up from his school work. He had been at Riku's house since school had ended, doing homework and just hanging out.

"Niwa, is something wrong?" There was concern in Riku's voice.

"Oh no, nothing's wrong at all," Daisuke said embarrassed. "I was just…" He trailed off and shook his head. "It's nothing. Don't worry." He smiled brightly and resumed to writing in his notebook.

Riku opened her mouth to say something but shrugged and said nothing.

"So Niwa… do you want to take me out to the movies tomorrow night?" Riku looked at Daisuke expectantly and reached out to hold his hand.

"The movies, tomorrow night?" He asked as he blinked a couple of times. _Oh no, I can't. I promised Hiwatari I'd go with him to the museum tomorrow. _"I don't think so. I mean – I don't think I can go. I would love to take you but I can't – go that is. I can't go."

Riku looked at him a bit dumbfounded from the corner of her eyes. "What do you mean you can't go? What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"I promised Hiwatari I'd hang out with him."

Riku's gaze lightened. "Oh. Well what are you two going to do?"

"_Think fast, Daisuke!_" Daisuke smiled for a moment before he replied. "Well you know… we might do some paintings together or something. I don't know, we haven't decided yet."

Riku arched a brow at Daisuke and laughed. "You're so cute when you're flustered," she said as she leaned over to kiss him on his reddened cheek.

* * *

----

* * *

"Niwa." 

Daisuke looked over his shoulder and found Hiwatari standing behind him. But before he could say anything Satoshi and moved into the empty art room, holding the door open for Daisuke. The red-haired boy wasn't sure how to take Satoshi's actions; granted this little meeting was more than likely about their plan to capture the Dark imposter. But he knew what everyone would think, he knew that some of the girls still reveled in the idea that he and Hiwatari made a "cute" couple. He rolled his eyes at the thought and dismissed it quickly before he entered the art room.

"What's going on, Hiwatari?" Daisuke asked quickly as he slipped his hands into his pockets.

Satoshi moved over toward one of the windows and leaned against its frame. He pushed his glasses further upon his nose with one finger before he looked over at Daisuke.

"Are you still coming to the museum tonight?" Satoshi wasted little time getting to the point.

Daisuke nodded and began to pace slowly. "I was thinking about that. I mean, you're the only one who knows about the note, right?" He paused to gauge Hiwatari's reaction before he nodded. "Well, the only way we'll be able to get in would be-"

"Would be for you to break us into the museum," Satoshi said, finishing Daisuke's sentence. Daisuke's eyes widened as he opened his mouth to talk. But no words escaped his throat. There were words in his mind, words that protested even the idea of breaking into someplace; words that told him that he was done with that part of his life. But then there was a voice deep in his soul that reminded him of the adrenaline rush he used to feel when he was with Dark. That was a feeling he deeply missed.

"Right, we'll break in. I'm pretty sure we can handle it."

Satoshi smiled. "Good. We'll meet at the museum at 11:30, break in, and wait for the imposter." The blue-haired boy moved toward the door and opened it. "Don't be late, Niwa." And with that, Satoshi left Daisuke alone in the room.

"_Can I really break into the museum?" _Daisuke asked himself as he slumped into one of the chairs in front of an easel. His brown eyes spied pastel chalk in the basket hanging from the side of the easel and he immediately picked it up. His nimble hands moved toward the paper and began to sketch idly as his heart desired. Several minutes passed, maybe even hours, but time at that moment mattered very little to Daisuke. His passion for art oftentimes made everything else disappear, placing the young man into his own world.

"_He's the only artist in the family." _He remembered Dark saying once. The memory made him smile and for an instant he thought he could feel Dark's aura surround him.

He shook his head. "You're going crazy, Daisuke," he said to himself as he put down the chalk. His brown eyes glanced up at the paper upon the easel and widened with shock. Without even realizing it, without any real intention at all, Daisuke had drawn a picture of Dark. It was like looking into the mirror again only to see his friend staring back at him. The purple locks that billowed about his face and the eyes that were filled with mischief were all too familiar to the boy. Daisuke sighed and took the paper from the easel, rolling it up nicely before he placed a rubber band around it.

"_I should take this home to mom," _he thought immediately as he left the art room. _"She'd probably like it." _

* * *

----

* * *

11:00. 

The moon shone brightly in the night sky illuminating the seaside town beautifully, but this fact was unknown to Daisuke who was still in his room pacing back and forth anxiously.

"_Why am I so nervous? It's not like I haven't done this before. This should be second nature to me. What if I get caught? What if the culprit really is Dark and he's escaped from the Black Wings somehow? If it is Dark, why hasn't he come to see me? And where's Krad? Is he still in the Black Wings? Will I have to start collecting cursed art pieces to seal them up again? I wonder what mom and dad and grandpa would think if they knew I was going to break into the museum?"_

His frantic thoughts continued along this path for quite some time. He tried to tell himself to calm down, he tried to convince himself that he wasn't really doing anything wrong, but nothing he said seemed to matter. His black turtle neck suddenly felt as if they were choking him and his black pants felt a thousand times heavier. His palms were sweating within his black gloves as were his feet within his shoes. Daisuke finally moved over toward the window seat and sat down, sighing deeply.

"I should call Satoshi and cancel," Daisuke said quietly, never once noticing that someone had entered his room.

"Cancel what, hrm?"

Daisuke leapt up to his feet, startled. "Towa!" He grabbed onto his chest and breathed deeply. "You shouldn't sneak up on people like that."

"Awww, I'm sorry Dai," said the magical girl as she appeared at his side, hugging him tightly. "I didn't mean to scare you."

Daisuke grinned. "It's okay Towa, just… don't do it again."

Towa pulled back and saluted him. "You got it! Well, good night!"

She was about to turn around and head out the door when she noticed Daisuke's clothing. The black-on-black ensemble was usually reserved for stealing missions and Towa knew that. She narrowed her eyes at Daisuke and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Where do you think you're going, Daisuke Niwa!"

"Towa… I… why do you think I'm going anywhere?"

"Because you're dressed like you're going to steal something, yes you are. You used to dress that way when Dark was with us."

Daisuke's face turned a deep crimson. "No… no. I just… I felt like dressing like this." He smiled brightly, eyes glancing up at the clock just in time to see that it was nearing 11:30. "Hey listen Towa, I gotta go. Please please please, don't tell mom that I'm gone."

Towa looked at him suspiciously but nodded. "I won't tell." And with that she flitted out of the room and left Daisuke alone. The red-haired boy sighed and moved over toward the balcony. He leapt upon the ledge and stayed there for a moment before he jumped off, landing deftly upon his feet. He looked around once more before he took off in a sprint down the street and toward the park.

"You're late," Satoshi said evenly as Daisuke arrived a few minutes past 11:30.

Daisuke was panting from his full-out run and was now struggling to catch his breath. "Sorry, Hiwatari, I had to make sure everyone at my house was asleep before I left."

Satoshi shrugged and slipped his hands into his pockets. "C'mon, let's go."

Daisuke nodded and followed Satoshi to the museum which was only a few minutes away. They reached the outside gate and looked through the bars. The grounds were quiet and there were no signs of anyone nearby.

"Maybe they won't come," Daisuke said hopefully.

"No, they'll be here," Satoshi replied. He couldn't explain it to Daisuke, but he had a strong feeling that somehow Dark, or someone pretending to be Dark, would show up. He sighed and gripped the bars tightly with his hands and looked over toward Daisuke. "Give me a boost over the walls," he said in a whisper.

"Okay," Dai said as he knelt down, fingers interlaced to form a step for Satoshi. Just as the blue-haired boy was about to step upon Daisuke's hands a news van pulled upon the scene.

Hiwatari growled. "Hurry Niwa!"

In a panic, Daisuke placed his hands under Satoshi's lifted foot and catapulted him over the wall with all his might. Hiwatari had little control of the situation as he was hurled over the gate and into a set of bushes on the other side. There was a soft thud followed by a muffled 'ow' before Daisuke launched himself over, landing deftly beside Hiwatari.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Daisuke's face was painted with a sheepish grin.

"No, I'm fine," Hiwatari said through gritted teeth. He moved to a sitting position and dusted a few leaves from his shirt.

"What's the press doing here, Hiwatari?" Daisuke asked as he peeked out from behind the bush. "I thought you said you were the only one who knew about the note."

"I am the only one in the department. But I suspect that our 'Dark' sent a duplicate letter to the press." He cursed the culprit under his breath and then moved his attention to the building. "We better go-" he began before Daisuke grabbed his arm.

"Wait a second, listen to what she's saying."

Daisuke's attention was no longer on the museum but on the words flowing out of the reporter's mouth.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen, I'm Kyo Midori with a special report. Earlier this evening a mysterious letter was delivered to our station indicating that The Phantom Thief Dark was going to steal the priceless Heaven's Tears from the museum. This is an unprecedented case with Dark waiting only two years this time for his return. This could be a hoax or this could be the real thing, but we here at Channel 7 news intend to find out and-"

There was a sudden ruckus of police cars rushing to the scene and helicopters flying in the air. A crowd had gathered and people were trying desperately to catch a glimpse of the Phantom Thief.

Daisuke was in a daze before Satoshi grabbed his shoulder and pulled his eyes away from the growing commotion.

"We've got to get inside, Daisuke. Hurry!"

Satoshi sprinted across the lawn, dodging the lights from the helicopters and staying in the shadows as he approached the building. Daisuke did the same and had easily caught up with Satoshi who was now peering inside the room that housed Heaven's Tears, a pair of the purest opals the world had ever known.

"Daisuke, there's a motion sensor on this window as well as a pressure sensor. If the window breaks, the alarm goes off. If the window is lifted open, the alarm will go off because of the change in pressure. And"-

"Not a problem," Daisuke interrupted. He had broken into alarms so much while he was younger that doing so now seemed second nature. The youngest Niwa male found himself growing more calm and relaxed as the night progressed. He was retreated further into thief mode and was less worried now about whether this was right or wrong now that he was actually doing it. Within a few moments, the window was open with no alarms going off. Daisuke had tricked the motion detector circuit into believing it was still connected with a simple piece of foil and the pressure sensor was also quieted with a long stick that held up the window, preserving the pressure. The unlocking mechanism was quiet simple as well, easily displaced with a screwdriver.

Hiwatari couldn't help but grin as he entered the room with the jewels. It was quiet and there was no sign that anyone was in the room with them. Daisuke followed a few moments after and looked around the medium-sized room. He saw the sparkling jewels in the middle of the floor in a shatter-proof case. Bright lights shone upon them and made it look as if the jewels had a light all their own.

"They're beautiful," Daisuke said in awe. "I can see why someone would want to steal them."

"They're more than just beautiful," said a mysterious voice that seemed to surround the two young boys.

"Dark…?" Daisuke's eyes widened. "Is that… is that you?"

"Show yourself imposter!" Hiwatari demanded as he stepped forward.

"Tsk tsk," said the familiar voice. "That's no way to talk to an old friend, is it?"

Satoshi and Daisuke looked to every corner to try to get a glimpse of the person talking to them. But their eyes did not look to the ceiling from which a darkened figure was descending. The thief put their hand on top of the glass case and began a quiet incantation under their breath. Satoshi stopped and turned around in time to see the intruder.

"Hold it right there!" He leapt forward and caught a glimpse of the person, who was now illuminated from some light shining in through the window. Daisuke had turned around as well and glared at the figure that was not Dark at all.

"Who are you!" he demanded angrily. It offended him deeply that anyone would try to impersonate Dark.

"You'll find out soon enough," the person said as the jewels inside the case began to glow and rise from their cushion. Daisuke and Hiwatari stared in awe as the opals seemed to pass through the glass and right into the thief's outstretched hand. "It's a shame that the true Dark did not come tonight," the voice said. "But I'm sure I can lure him out eventually."

"Give those back!" Daisuke said as he leapt toward the mysterious person and tried to kick them in the gut. But the imposter-Dark was too quick and began to ascend back toward the ceiling.

Satoshi had grabbed the glass case that held the jewels (and thus set off the alarm) and hurled it at the intruder. The unknown thief grabbed it quickly with their left hand and tossed it aside.

"I see that we have company outside," they said with a laugh that sounded very much like a girl for a moment. "They expecting to see the Phantom Thief and who am I to disappoint."

In a flash of light, the thief had crashed through the window and flown outside. In the moonlight, the gaggle of people, the press and the police saw the Phantom Thief flying away on his black wings. Satoshi and Daisuke could hardly believe their eyes for they knew that the person that had just stolen Heaven's Tears was not Dark at all and yet looking outside, they saw Dark.

And in the room where the crime had taken place a litter of black feathers was floating to the ground.


	5. Chapter 4: Suspicions Arise

**Chapter 4: Suspicions Arise**

"This way men! The room's over here!"

There was a loud scuffle of feet headed down the hallway toward the room where the jewels were housed. Hiwatari looked over his shoulder at the oncoming sound and narrowed his eyes.

"Get behind those drapes, Niwa!" he said as he pushed Daisuke toward the maroon curtains that hung on either side of one of the unbroken windows. He had just turned around when the double doors were thrown open.

"Hold it right there!" exclaimed one of the armed police officers who was pointing a handgun straight at Hiwatari. Other officers fell in next to him, each of them holding a gun and a flashlight.

"Honestly, do you think that the culprit would still be in this room when we all saw him flying away into the night?" Hiwatari asked calmly as he turned around. His cool demeanor quickly overtook the officers as they put down their guns.

"Commander! Wh-What are you doing here?" asked the officer who barged in first.

"I'm investigating the reports that Dark was here to steal the opals," he said, slipping his hands into his pockets.

"But… we didn't know about the-"

"I heard rumors from a source within the press that told me about the note they received," Satoshi lied. "I wanted to investigate on my own and I almost caught the thief before he was scared away by the helicopters outside."

The officers looked down sheepishly and sighed. "We're sorry, Commander, had we known that you were investigating-"

"You would have known had someone taken the time to call and ask me, right Inspector?"

Just then, Inspector Saehara entered the room. "Commander, I just thought that the element of surprise would capture Dark this time."

"The person who stole the jewels was NOT Dark. It was an imposter," Hiwatari informed them.

"Sir? We all saw the black wings that Dark flies away on. And look, this room is littered with black feathers!"

"A clever ruse to throw us off the trail." Hiwatari stepped forward and looked at Saehara and his men. "There's nothing else to find in here. I suggest you gather your men and head back to the station. We'll have to file the report."

"Yes sir!" They all said before they turned on their heels to leave.

Satoshi waited until the hallway was clear before he returned to Daisuke behind the curtains. The youngest Niwa had been quiet as a mouse the entire time and was now just waiting for his moment to leave.

"Hurry and head out the window and go home. I'm going to stay here and gather what information I can," Satoshi said.

"Right. See you at school then?" Daisuke asked.

Hiwatari nodded. "We'll talk tomorrow."

Satoshi turned around and left Daisuke alone to his devices. It would be up to the red-haired thief to elude the officers and dogs that were now patrolling the museum grounds.

* * *

----

* * *

The hour was nearing two in the morning before Daisuke reached his room. He collapsed upon his bed and sighed.

"Was that really you, Dark?" he whispered under his breath. He rolled over onto his side and hugged onto his pillow tightly. There was an ache in his heart that he hadn't felt in the two years since Dark was sealed away. He sighed again and closed his eyes.

"It wasn't Dark," he said softly as With crawled up to meet him face to face. Daisuke smiled and smoothed the soft fur of Dark's familiar. "I wish it was Dark though, don't you, With?"

"Kyu…" the familiar answered sadly as he snuggled up against Daisuke. The pair fell asleep soundly for the rest of the night.

_-The next morning-_

"Dai honey! You're going to be late for school!" yelled Emiko loudly. Daisuke looked up at the clock curiously; he had plenty of time before he had to leave for school and wondered if his mom had made a mistake. He traveled down to the kitchen two steps at a time.

"What are you talking about, mom? I've got lots of time left."

"Oh, I wanted you to eat some breakfast before you left, dear." She smiled brightly at Daisuke and herded him to the table. She practically shoved him into a chair and pushed him close to the table. A small "oof" emitted from Daisuke.

"But… I'm not hungry mom," Daisuke replied as he began to push himself away from the table.

"Daisuke." Emiko's voice held a sharp, almost stiff tone.

"Um… okay. I guess I could… eat something…" he answered reluctantly and with a gulp.

"Wonderful! While I'm cooking why don't you read the front page of the paper for me, hrm?" She began to beat the pancake batter with a whisk.

"Sure thing, mom." Daisuke picked up the morning newspaper and glanced at the front page. He gasped softly upon seeing the headline:

**PHANTOM THIEF DARK RETURNS!**

Heaven's Tears Stolen by Infamous Thief.

Daisuke hesitated and set the paper down. "Oh… there's uh… nothing really going on, y'know."

"Oh? Not even the story about Dark?" She glanced up at Daisuke with angry eyes. She had completely stopped cooking.

"Mom I can explain!" Daisuke said jumping to his feet to face his mother.

"Well I should hope so, Daisuke," said Daiki as he entered the kitchen. "We didn't think it was you but-"

"But when we didn't find you in your bed last night, we…" There was a quiver in Emiko's voice that wasn't there before.

"Mom, I swear I didn't steal the jewels. Hiwatari and I went to the museum though to figure out who sent the note and maybe catch them." Daisuke's heart was beating quickly within his chest and there was a slight sweat drop forming upon his right temple.

"We heard about the note, too. It was on the tv this morning. You swear you didn't do it, Dai?" Emiko asked pleadingly.

"I promise mom, it wasn't me. It was…" Daisuke paused. He didn't really know who it was or why they had even stolen the jewels or why they pretended to be Dark. He was just as clueless as everyone else. "The person talked to me and Hiwatari though. They said they wanted the real Dark to show up. Maybe that's why they pretended to be Dark." He shrugged and sat back down in his chair.

"But why would anyone want Dark?" Emiko asked finally as she finishing making the pancakes and served them up for both her father and son. "He's been gone for two years now and I know he's still sealed away."

Daisuke ate quickly and took his plate over to the sink. "I promise mom, with all my heart, that it wasn't me." He kissed her on the cheek and smiled.

"Oh Dai… I know. I just… I think I just got scared is all. And maybe…" She didn't want to admit either, but she too missed the Phantom Thief.

"So now," Daiki began as he nibbled on a piece of syrup covered pancake. "The only mystery to solve is who exactly this impersonating thief is."

Everyone in the room nodded just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it, mom. I have to go anyway." Daisuke grabbed his bag and sprinted for the door. "Can I help-" he began as he opened the door. "Miss… Miss Hattori!" Daisuke's heart tightened within his chest for some reason. "Wh-what are you doing here?" his voice squeaked with surprise.

"Hello to you, too," Maya said with a slightly amused tone. "I thought that we could walk to school together, Niwa." Her emerald-green eyes seemed to pierce straight into Daisuke's soul.

"Um… yeah. Of course… I guess," he stuttered. "Do you… how did… I mean, we've never really talked at school and… how did you know that I live here?" Daisuke's words were clustering together even before they left his mouth. He chided himself quietly.

"I saw you out here the other day with your dad. I live just down the way," she said, pointing to the right.

"Oh really?" He looked down the lane and couldn't remember anyone moving in recently; though how could he know since she probably moved in while he was on vacation. "Well, let's go then before we're late."

Daisuke closed the door to his house and began to walk to the uphill tram that would lead to their school. The trip was quiet with Daisuke unsure of what to say and the girl who seemed unwilling to say anything at all. In fact, she was an enigma to him and everyone else. She was quiet in school, barely talking or socializing with anyone. She ate alone and when the final bell rang, she was gone before anyone could ask her to walk home with them. But Maya was different today carrying a light and uplifting aura around her, one that was missing before. She did, after all, ask Daisuke to walk to school with her. As far as he knew, he was the first person she EVER talked to.

"So," Maya said to break the deafening silence. "Did you hear about that robbery last night?"

Daisuke's heart skipped a beat before he calmed himself down. There was no way she could have known that he was there.

"No, I didn't," he lied. Maya glanced at him from the corner of her eyes and smirked.

"Oh? They say that some guy named Dark committed the crime."

"It wasn't Dark!" Daisuke protested before he had a chance to catch his outburst. "I mean… it couldn't have been. He's been gone for two years now."

Maya giggled softly though there seemed to be a sinister tone to her laugh. "Just because someone's been gone for two years doesn't mean they can't come back, you know? Unless… you know something that the rest of us don't." She smiled at him and stepped a little bit closer to him before a voice interrupted the conversation.

"It wasn't Dark's style," Satoshi said as he approached both Maya and Daisuke. Maya glared over at Satoshi before a smile decorated her face. "Hiwatari... the person in charge of capturing the Phantom Thief; of course, you'd know all about Dark wouldn't you?"

Satoshi glared at her and took another step forward. "And why are you interested in Dark, Miss Hattori?"

But before Maya could answer and before Daisuke was about to pass out from the tension between Maya and Satoshi, a voice called out to him.

"Niwa!" Riku yelled as she ran toward him. She hadn't heard a bit of the conversation between Daisuke and Maya. She hugged him tightly and then smiled at Maya. "Hi there," Riku said slightly suspicious.

"Hello Miss Harada," Maya said with a bow. "And you too, Miss Harada." She bowed toward Risa this time.

"Oh! Call me Risa!" The cheerful girl said as she bounded forward. She had been looking for a reason to talk to the new girl and now seemed like the perfect time. "And you're Maya, right? I didn't know you came this way to school."

Maya smiled. "I normally take the long way," she said evenly. "But today, I decided I needed to get to know my classmates a bit better." She smiled at Daisuke.

"Is that so," Satoshi said with a glare. "I find that very interesting."

"Oh Hiwatari," Risa said as she hugged his arm. "You're always so suspicious of people." She began to tug him toward the tram.

Riku glanced at Hiwatari and then at Daisuke before she leaned up to whisper in his ear. "What are you doing here with her?"

Daisuke's eyes widened. He couldn't tell Riku that the girl had literally picked him up on his doorstep. "We ran into each other on the way here," he whispered in return. "She started talking and …"

"Tram's here," Maya said, disturbing Daisuke and Riku.

Riku narrowed her eyes and entered the car, followed closely by Daisuke. Risa and Satoshi were next, followed lastly by Maya. The car was packed and there was barely any room to move. Satoshi was practically pressed against Maya who was leaning against the door. He looked down at her only to find that she was staring right up at him.

"I want to know why you're so interested in Dark," Satoshi asked bluntly.

"Oh I dunno," Maya began in a coy voice. "Maybe I'm just interested in local history. I've read that the Phantom Thief used to only make his appearance once every forty years. I wonder why he waited so little this time around…"

"Because it wasn't him," Satoshi answered.

"Hrm, you know, Niwa said the same thing. I wonder what the both of you know that the rest of us don't."

"That's none of your business," Hiwatari said coldly. "And I suggest that you-"

The tram came to a halt and the doors slid open. Maya bounded outside with her bag in tow and waited for Risa to emerge. Once the younger Harada did, Maya pulled her aside and whispered in her ear.

"I need to talk with you later if that's possible."

Risa nodded happily. "Of course! I have a free period after lunch."

"Perfect… I'll meet you in the courtyard then." She backed away and waved at Risa and the others who had now joined her. "I'll see you all later!" And with that she ran off toward the school.

"That girl is weird," Riku said with her hands on her hips.

"I agree," Satoshi said.

"Well I think she's nice!" Risa exclaimed with a smile.

Riku immediately began to argue with her twin sister as they walked toward the school.

Daisuke just sighed and shook his head. He really didn't know what to make of Maya at the moment. The only thing he knew was that when he was near her, he could feel the strange power that surrounded her and that only made him want to know more.


	6. Chapter 5: Face to Face with Dark

**Chapter 5: Face to Face with Dark**

"Hey Risa!" Maya yelled as she approached the brown-haired girl.

"Hey Maya!" Risa waved in return and bounced slightly on the balls of her feet. "So, what did you want to talk about?" She clasped her hands behind her back and smiled brightly.

"Oh, I just thought we could just talk, you know? Get to know one another better."

"Oh yes, that's a wonderful idea!" Risa replied. "So where are you from?"

Maya grinned. "A place that not a lot of people have heard of," she answered flippantly. "How long have you lived in this place?" Maya asked, trying to get the attention off of herself.

"My whole life really," Risa answered as she began to walk slowly. "I love this place though. I won't ever move away from here." She paused in her steps. "But, I do want to visit other places, you know? But this place… this is my home." She sighed contentedly and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Oh? You still want to stay here even with a Phantom Thief on the loose?" Maya asked with a smirk. Risa turned around and looked at Maya in shock.

"Mister Dark is not a bad man at all!" she said defensively. She calmed down and held her hands together in front of her. "In fact, he's one of the most gentlemanly men in the world!"

"You seem to know him pretty well, Risa." Maya inched closer to Risa.

"Mm, I do," younger Harada volunteered. "He used to take me out on dates, you know? And he treated me so well, and he was always looking out for me even when I almost got him in trouble. And I know for sure he didn't take those jewels."

"But the news said he did."

"They don't know anything about Mister Dark. He's gone…" she turned away slowly. "And he's never coming back."

Maya's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth. "What do you mean he's never coming back? Did something happen to him?" Maya hoped that questioning the younger Harada sister would bear some fruit, especially since the older one seemed so closed off and suspicious.

"Well it's been two years since-"

"Miss Risa." It was Satoshi.

"Hiwatari," she said cheerfully. "What are you doing out here?"

Maya glanced at Hiwatari and crossed her arms over her chest. This was exactly what she didn't need, especially with Risa being so close to answering her question. Hiwatari strode forward, his eyes piercing Maya from above the rim of his glasses.

"I was going to ask you the same thing," he said as he leaned down to kiss her on the cheek though his eyes never left Maya.

She pressed her cheek into his lips and sighed happily. "I'm just talking with Maya," she said as she glanced at her friend who was now wearing a grin.

"About what?" He slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Girl talk," Maya said before Risa could say anything. She slid up to Risa and entwined their arms. "We're having a great time! Aren't we, Risa?"

Risa nodded and hugged Maya. "Yes! Maya's so nice, Hiwatari!"

Hiwatari looked unconvinced. "I see. Well… I need your help with something, Risa." He took her hand and began to pull her away.

"Um… okay… bye Maya," Risa said as she waved at the dark-haired girl. Maya crossed her arms and chewed upon her lower lip as they disappeared from view. She was about to return to the school herself when she saw someone approaching her once more.

"Hiwatari."

"I want to know what you're up to, Maya," he demanded.

She rolled her eyes and sighed. "None of your business," she said adamantly before she began to walk away.

"I'm not done with you," he said as he picked up a large rock and tossed it at her. Maya turned around quickly and caught it with her left hand. Hiwatari's eyes narrowed as he stepped forward.

"It was you… you stole the opals from the museum!" His chest heaved deeply with anger.

"No…didn't you hear?" She asked with a bit of sarcasm and a voice that Satoshi was sure he heard before. "It was Dark."

She tossed the rock aside and walked away, leaving Hiwatari alone in the courtyard.

* * *

----

* * *

The end of the school day came quickly and Maya, as usual, was the first to leave the school. She had barely left the front doors when a hand clamped down upon her shoulder. She whipped her head around to catch who it was that had a hold of her. 

"Niwa!" The surprise in her voice was apparent.

"Miss Hattori," Daisuke said with a smile. If he was going to find out more about her, now would be the time to do it. "Can we talk for a bit?"

Maya looked over his shoulder and found Hiwatari and Riku rushing toward them. She narrowed her eyes and grabbed Daisuke by the hand. "Hurry, this way." She dragged the young man through the crowd and away from the school until they reached a nearby alley. She looked around the corner and grinned proudly at the fact that she was able to ditch the two people who would have hindered her time with Niwa the most.

"Hey, why'd you do that for," Daisuke finally said when they stopped. He was panting slightly as he leaned against the wall of the alley.

"Because," Maya began. "Your girlfriend and your friend don't like me." She said pointedly. "And if we're going to talk… _really _talk… we need to be alone." She had placed a hand upon Daisuke's chest as she looked up into his brown eyes. "Now come on, you can walk me home."

Daisuke gulped slightly before he nodded and followed Maya out of the alley. The walk home was quiet and no one paid the pair any attention. They talked about school and art and the different places in the world that each of them had visited. And before each of them realized, they had reached their road and Maya's front door.

"Well, this is me," she said with an uncharacteristic blush as she pointed to the house.

Daisuke looked up at the house with darkened windows and dead flowers in the windowsill pots. The curtains seemed tattered and the paint was peeling on the outside. The girl inserted the key and opened the door. She didn't call out to anyone nor did anyone come to greet her.

"Where are your parents," Daisuke asked innocently.

Maya looked down, her dark hair covering her eyes. "I… my parents have passed away."

"Oh… I'm sorry… I-"

"Don't worry about it," Maya interrupted. "Look Daisuke…" she rested her hand upon his arm. "Thanks for walking me home." She smiled at him and entered the quiet home. She closed the door behind her and rested against the wood. She sighed deeply and slid to the ground.

* * *

----

* * *

Daisuke stood alone on the cobblestone street for a few moments after Maya entered the dilapidated house. He wanted to say something, wanted to knock on her door and just… he really didn't know. He almost felt responsible somehow, like he was supposed to fix her or at least try to make her feel better. But when she didn't emerge from the house after a few minutes Daisuke continued on his way home. 

"Dai!" called out a voice from behind him. Daisuke turned around and found Riku running toward him. She caught up to him and grinned. "Where did you run off to after school?" She linked arms with him and began to walk along with him.

Niwa blushed slightly. "Oh… I figured you had practice after school."

Riku laughed and shook her head. "No silly, only on Mondays and Wednesdays and today's Thursday."

"Sorry, I must've forgotten," he said sheepishly.

"Like you forgot to tell me about Dark?" she asked with a sly grin as she leaned up to kiss him upon his cheek. "Don't worry, Hiwatari told me that you two were trying to catch the imposter. I figured you probably had enough explaining to do to your mom." She giggled and held onto his arm tighter. "Listen, you can make it up to me by inviting me over for dinner."

Daisuke smiled. "Deal," he said, glad that he didn't have to explain it to Riku as well. "Not sure what mom's cooking tonight though."

"Doesn't matter," Riku replied. "Whatever your mom cooks is good anyway."

Daisuke nodded in agreement and led Riku toward his home though his mind was on the lonely girl he left behind only a few minutes earlier.

-_Back at Maya's house-_

The girl remained at the front door long after she left Daisuke in the street. She held her knees close to her chest and lowered her head. Her sound of her breath was heavy and echoed throughout the empty house.

"Almost… I've almost completed it," she said to herself. She smiled at the thought that her goal was finally within her reach. But then amemory invaded her mind and her heart sank completely.

--

"_We've scattered the pieces, Maya! You'll never find them and you'll live with what you've done for the rest of your life," said a wizened old man lying down in a bed._

"_Father no!" Maya reached out a hand only to have the man shy away._

"_Don't call me that… you're dead to me!" The man coughed into a handkerchief and spit out blood. _

"_Father please…"_

"_Remember this, Maya. You are the one who put me here. You are the one that stole the-"_

"_I stopped you because I love you! Don't you see I didn't want you to become power hungry and mad!"_

"_Better for me to be incapacitated and dying? Get out Maya; leave a dying old man in peace."_

_--_

The memory faded from her mind's eye and she looked up into the darkness. Her rosy cheeks were stained with tears that she wiped away quickly.

"Crazy old man," she said out loud. "I did the right thing… I know I did."

She pushed herself up to her feet and began to climb the lonely staircase up to her room.

* * *

----

* * *

"Hey you guys! My dad told me that Dark sent another note to the station!" exclaimed Saehara as he rushed into the classroom. 

"Huh? What!" Daisuke said as he rose to his feet. Riku and Risa looked over at him and then looked over at Satoshi's desk which was empty.

"Yeah! This is great! My dad says I'm old enough to be on the front lines with him this time around! I'm gonna get some GREAT pictures for the paper!"

"Hey Saehara, did your dad say what the note said exactly?" Daisuke was determined to catch the imposter this time.

"Yeah, something about stealing some necklace or something tonight at eleven… didn't know ruins have necklaces…" he added quietly afterward.

Daisuke's brow furrowed deeply. Why was this person still using Dark's name to commit their crimes?

"What are you going to do, Niwa?" whispered Riku into Daisuke's ear. He glanced at his girlfriend from the corner of his eye and sighed softly.

"I have to go there… I mean, I have to find out who this is."

Riku nodded. "Do you want me to come with you?"

"No… I should do this alone." He smiled at her and was about to give her a kiss when the teacher entered the classroom. He took his seat immediately (as did the rest of the class) and discreetly glanced over toward where Maya's seat was.

"_I wonder where she is," _he said to himself as he noted the empty seat. He shrugged and began to take notes in his notebook.

* * *

----

* * *

"I want that writing analyzed immediately," Satoshi said as he sat behind a desk, fingers steepled in front of his face. 

"We're trying sir but it's almost exactly the same as the ones that were sent two years ago."

Satoshi growled under his breath and slammed a fist onto the desk before he pushed his chair away. "I'm going to the ruins. I want the task force to form a secure perimeter around the area and I want helicopters watching the skies."

"We were planning that already, Sir," said Inspector Saehara. "I figure we could send a few men inside the ruins to-"

"No," Hiwatari interrupted. "I'll be the only one inside." He turned to glare at Saehara. "And if I see any officers within the ruins, I'll make sure you never work in this town again." He walked away, anger practically pouring from his very being. Inspector Saehara blinked a few times and shook his head before he turned to the men who were snickering behind him.

"What are you men laughing at!" he demanded. "You heard the Chief, go and set up a perimeter on the outside of the ruins. Now!"

The men scattered out the door and within moments several squad cars were headed toward the ancient ruins that stood upon a hill outside of the seaside town.

* * *

----

* * *

The light of the moon shone brightly down upon the earth and bathed the ruins in an ethereal light. There were groups of officers gathered around the broken pillars and rubble that surrounded the main building of the ruins. Helicopters made their rounds over the ruins with their bright spotlights shining around. 

Hiwatari was already inside the antiquated building which had surprisingly withstood the test of time better than its surroundings. He was crouched down in a corner setting up a small electrical box; a trap he hoped would work against the fake Dark.

"I hope that's not the same trap you tried on Dark before," said Daisuke as he emerged from the darkness.

Satoshi grinned and rose to his feet. "No, this one is better," he said before he turned around. "You shouldn't be here."

"I need to be here… I need to find out who this person is," Daisuke demanded.

"Once I capture them we'll both find out." Satoshi's tone held no argument.

"Oh… but that is if you can capture me," came the mysterious voice. The thief appeared from behind one of the intact pillars and chuckled. They were clad entirely in black and wore a black mask over their eyes. Short hair framed the thief's face and their figure obviously suggested a female.

"You…" Hiwatari's voice was practically dripping with venom.

Daisuke looked on hopefully but the thief was not Dark at all. "Who are you?" he asked almost sadly. "Why are you doing this?"

The thief sauntered to the middle of the hall, hands upon shapely hips as they did so. "Why is it that every time I intend to lure out the Phantom Thief, I find you two instead?" She stopped and shook her head. "Come on, Niwa," she said as she turned to Daisuke. "Bring out Dark, pretty please."

Daisuke's eyes widened. "How do you know my name?"

The thief stepped forward a few more steps. "I know a lot about you, and you Hiwatari," she said turning to Satoshi. "Or should I call you Hikari?" She let out a wicked laugh and threw her head back slightly. "Now seriously… where is Dark?"

"He's… gone… I-"

"Not another word, Niwa. They don't deserve to know." Satoshi fiddled with the remote he held in his pocket and waited for the thief to step forward only a few more feet.

The thief glared at Hiwatari. "I don't deserve to know?" She stepped forward. "I need to know."

"Niwa get down!" Satoshi pressed the button upon the remote just as Daisuke somersaulted out of the way. Translucent red bars sprang forth from the ground and surrounded the thief just as the same red bars covered the top. The thief's eyes widened as she moved to touch the bars.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Satoshi said. "Those lasers can cut through anything, including human flesh and bone. You'd be dead before you even made it past them."

The thief pulled back her hand and glared at Satoshi and then looked over toward Daisuke. She smirked and covered her head with her hands. She ran her fingers through her hair and they immediately turned to the dark purple that was indicative of Dark's. Her hands moved over her face to cover them for a moment as she talked.

"C'mon Daisuke… you know me... it's me, Dark."

When she moved her hands she no longer looked like the thief Hiwatari had captured but just like Dark himself. Even her clothes had changed as well as her height and build. Dark smirked and shook his head.

"So I'm having a little fun… c'mon, not gonna throw me in jail are ya, Satoshi?"

Daisuke looked up, unable to believe his eyes or ears. Just a moment ago it was an unknown girl who had written the note to lure out Dark but now – now it really was Dark. Or at least, someone who looked like Dark. The whole situation confused him and he approached the red bars cautiously.

"How did you… change?" He asked. Satoshi's reaction was the same; his usual stoic façade was replaced by a shocked one.

"What are you trying to pull? Who are you really?" Earlier, Satoshi's mind was sure that the thief was Maya. But now, with the introduction of the thief with short hair who could change their appearance at will… Satoshi wasn't sure of anything.


	7. Chapter 6: The Tell Tale Photograph

**Chapter 6: The Tell-Tale Photograph**

"What do you mean? Can't you see that I'm Dark?" The handsome young man chuckled heartily before he settled down onto the ground. "Look, are you going to let me out or what?"

"Dark… what are-" Daisuke had begun to say.

"That's not Dark!" Satoshi interrupted violently. "She… he… whatever is trying to deceive us!"

Daisuke looked at Satoshi seriously and stood his ground. "What were you trying to steal…?"

'Dark' looked at Daisuke from the corner of his intense eyes and grinned. "Oh I've already stolen it," he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tarnished necklace. "This gold necklace…it's all I needed."

Hiwatari remained unconvinced while Daisuke was determined to give the person behind the red bars a chance. He stepped forward cautiously. "Why do you need it?"

"I just do," Dark replied sadly. "And since you won't help me get the _real _Dark…"

The fake Dark sighed and shook his head as he pulled himself to his feet. He held his right hand in front of him, palm up and began to chant quietly. Within a few moments a bright white began to form within his palm and began to take the shape of a ball. It started to twirl rapidly as it grew in power.

"I'll ask you once more to let me go," Dark said evenly.

Hiwatari crossed his arms defiantly. "No."

"Fine… then we'll do this the hard way." The fake Dark released the energy ball toward the electrical box that controlled the jail cell. It exploded upon impact, destroying the box yet the bars were not destroyed. Hiwatari smirked triumphantly.

"There's another energy source for it, one separate from that box. That was merely… a distraction."

Dark glanced ahead apathetically. "I will get out," he said as he lowered his head. "And it'll be easier than that little explosion." He began to mutter silently under his breath, drawing a powerful wind to blow around him. His hair billowed about his face and when he looked up his eyes glowed brightly. He smiled at Daisuke and lifted two fingers to his brow in a casual salute. "I'll be seeing you."

A bright flash of light suddenly filled the room and when it cleared, the fake Dark was gone, leaving the red-barred jail cell empty.

"How did he…?" Daisuke asked his mouth gaped open in shock.

"I don't know," Satoshi answered as he silently fisted his hand in anger. "But we'll find out who he is, sooner or later." Satoshi turned off the red bars for the make-shift jail cell and stepped within its confines. All that remained was a small black spot upon the floor, as if something hot had burned there only moments ago. He knelt down and wiped two fingers across the blackened surface and rubbed it with his thumb before he sniffed it.

"Smells like sulfur," he said definitively as he stood to his full height. Daisuke had approached his friend and sighed.

"Something's not right," the red-haired boy said. "How did sh-… he… know my name?"

"It's probably someone we know," he said immediately thinking of Maya. Though the female thief he and Daisuke encountered earlier looked nothing like Maya at all; but if the thief was able to change their appearance at will, what was to say that the female façade was their true one? Satoshi ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "Let's get going… there's nothing left here."

Daisuke nodded and followed Satoshi out of the ruins. Once they reached the grounds Hiwatari immediately went to the gaggle of police officers while Daisuke went home. His feet carried him through the quiet town, down the cobblestone streets, and toward the one place his heart wanted to be: Riku's house. He stood outside the door and gazed up at the darkened house. He wanted to go in, wanted to pull Riku into his arms and hold her close to his body. He wanted his Sacred Maiden – his sanctuary – to make the confusion that racked his brain to go away.

He turned away from Riku's house sadly and began his journey home. He shoved his hands into his pockets and lowered his head as he walked. He'd reach home eventually and once he got there he'd climb the stairs to his room and collapse into his bed. His dreams would no doubt be plagued by the enigmatic thief who wanted Dark. But he'd worry about that tomorrow – tomorrow he'd talk to his family, he'd see Riku, and hope beyond hope that everything would turn out alright.

* * *

----

* * *

The rundown house at the end of the street stood like a thorny rosebush in the middle of a field of daisies. It was a stark contrast to the rest of the neighborhood which was happy and bright and welcoming. The peculiar house had been empty until a mysterious girl moved into it and even then it remained as bleak as ever. No one in the area could say how long she had been there or even when she moved in. It was as if one day she had appeared out of nowhere dressed neatly in her school uniform and looking more prim and proper than the house she had emerged from.

And now in the middle of the night a lone light shone in one of the upstairs' rooms of the decrepit house. The short-haired thief lied upon the bed, her arm resting across her brow as she stared blankly upward. Her mind was racing with thoughts of her past, her present, and her possible future.

Her future…

Would it even be possible without some help? She knew she couldn't accomplish her task alone and yet, after what Niwa told her –

"_He's gone…"_

She sat upright in her bed, balled her hand into a fist and punched the mattress.

"Dark can't be gone," she said under her breath. "But what if…"

She reached underneath her pillow and pulled out a long, golden necklace inlaid with eight shimmering jewels. She held it up to the moonlight and watched it glimmer, casting shadows upon the wall as it twirled around lazily.

"Where did you go," she said out loud. "You promised me… you promised that you'd help me." She sighed and placed the necklace inside the nightstand's drawer before she stood on her feet. She reached for her pajamas, changed into them quickly, and then jumped back into bed.

"Niwa… you're my only hope," she said as she hugged her pillow. "Tomorrow… I'll talk to you tomorrow." She sighed deeply and closed her eyes for the remainder of the night.

_

* * *

_

----

* * *

_The next day._

"Maya!" Risa called out as she ran toward the dark-haired girl.

"Oh, hello Risa," she answered quickly and with a smile. Maybe if she wasn't interrupted by Hiwatari this time, she could get some answers out of the kind girl.

Risa came to a stop near Maya and held onto the girl's shoulder as she caught her breath. "Hey," she said quickly. "I'm sorry about the other day. I don't know why Satoshi dragged me away."

"Oh it's fine," Maya said with a wave to dismiss the fact. "I've already forgotten about it." She grinned and patted Risa's back. "Are you alright? You seem a bit winded."

"Oh…yeah, I'm great," she huffed. "Just… I was never as athletic as Riku."

Maya nodded. "Say… speaking of the other day, do you think you can tell me anything about Dark now?"

Risa looked up, perplexed. "Mister Dark? Well I –" she hesitated. "I don't know really. I mean, he was here and then he was gone. But," she began with wide eyes, completely forgetting about any discretion she had earlier. "Before he left, he got into a big fight with another angel, and there was an earthquake and everything was a big mess."

Maya listened curiously. "A big fight," she asked. "So after the fight, he just disappeared?"

"Well yeah," Risa answered with a nod. "I mean Ni-" she covered her mouth quickly and shook her head. Risa was never good at keeping secrets or at hiding her feelings when certain secrets came to the forefront. "He's really gone… I have a feeling he won't come back."

Maya nodded solemnly. "I see – he seemed like such an interesting character." She turned her back on Risa and sighed, continuing her sentence in a low voice. "It would have been nice to see him again."

Risa gazed around Maya's shoulder and prodded the girl's arm. "Hey… are you alright?"

The dark-haired girl was pulled from her reverie and she smiled broadly at Risa. "I'm fine! Just fine! Aheh. Guess I was having a little daydream or something."

"Hey, let's go out for a walk around the track field," Risa offered. "It's such a beautiful day out; I'd hate to see it go to waste."

Maya nodded and followed the younger girl out of the building. Risa skipped merrily along her way, waving hello to people that she passed and occasionally stopping to hug others. She certainly was a popular girl and from Maya's standpoint, genuinely nice. When the two girls reached the track they began to walk near the outer fence. Risa had grown more comfortable in talking about Dark, explaining to Maya her huge crush on the Phantom Thief and how he was so handsome and charming and a truly caring person underneath it all. Maya listened patiently and laughed at the parts that Risa laughed at. Both girls were in a world of their own that they both barely noticed a soccer game going on several feet in front of them. The boys of the team were a rambunctious group, yelling loudly with each goal or kick and for the most part seemed more interested in just kicking the ball around rather than making a goal.

"Hey Seiji! I bet you can't kick the ball as far as that pole," one boy challenged. The much larger boy took the challenge and grabbed the ball from his teammate.

"Oh yeah… watch this!" He let the ball drop from his hands and when it almost reached the ground he kicked it with all his might. The ball flew at an amazing speed through the air, headed straight for the pole that the other boy mentioned. It was at that exact moment that Maya and Risa had also passed the pole and found that the ball was still speeding toward them.

"What is that thing," Risa asked, doe-eyed as she caught sight of the ball zooming through the air. Maya glanced up and saw the black-and-white ball flying toward them and quickly stepped in front of Risa. Risa looked up at Maya, confused, just as the girl held out her left hand and caught the oncoming ball skillfully. She glanced at the boys and balanced the ball in her hand as she strode forward. "The next time to decide to kick the ball somewhere, make sure there isn't anyone around," Maya said as she tossed the ball back at the bewildered boys before she headed back toward Risa.

"Maybe we should go walk someplace else… things could get dangerous out here."

Risa, however, did not reply as she gazed at Maya with wonder. "Riku… not even Riku could do that and she's the best athlete I know!" Maya giggled softly at Risa and reached for her hand.

"Well I couldn't let you get hurt, now could I?" Maya said before she let go of Risa's hand and began to walk ahead of her. "Hey, I forgot I have someplace I need to be," Maya said as she began to run off. "I'll see you later!" She continued to yell over her shoulder as she ran across the field and back toward the school.

Risa waved in return and watched Maya disappear from view before headed back to the school as well. She'd have to find someone to walk her back home since she hated walking home alone.

* * *

----

* * *

Dusk had fallen quickly upon the sleepy town and things at the Niwa household were as quiet as ever. Daisuke was up in his room working on a painting. Emiko and Towa were busy making dinner in the kitchen while Kosuke and Daiki were both reading the newspaper in the living room. As the evening progressed, storm clouds began to gather overhead and, within moments, droplets of rain began to fall all around. The sound was peaceful and welcoming to Daisuke as he stood by the doors to his balcony and looked outward.

"Daisuke! Dinner!" He heard his mother call from downstairs. The young boy jumped down the steps two at a time and swung his body around the banister. He entered the kitchen and inhaled deeply, the aroma of the various dishes that his mother and Towa prepared was intoxicating.

"Wow… everything looks great!" He exclaimed as he took a seat at the table.

"It certainly does," replied Daiki as he sat down next to Daisuke. He clapped his hands together and rubbed them quickly as he prepared to pick up his fork and spoon.

"Uh uh uh, Dad," said Emiko as she shook her wooden spoon. "Not so fast. We have to wait for Kosuke."

Daiki grumbled. "Darn that boy… always making me wait to eat. Hurry up, Kosuke!" He yelled just as Daisuke's father emerged from the door that led to the basement.

"Sorry about that everyone… I was just doing a bit of research." He sat down at the table and smiled at everyone placing the book that he was carrying to his left. Daisuke eyed the book and then looked up at his father.

"Research," he asked curiously. Emiko and Towa had taken their seats as well and were now handing out food to everyone. "What kind of research, dad?"

"Well… ever since the other day, when your friend came over to the house, I've been wanting to find out about other famous thieves that have existed within the past hundred years or so."

Daisuke arched a brow. "My friend? Saehara? Miss Riku? Hiwatari?"

"No no," Kosuke said as he took a bite of the curry. "Mmm delicious curry, Emiko and no Daisuke, your other friend – Maya."

Daisuke was in mid-chew when his father mentioned Maya. "Maya," he said through a full mouth. He swallowed quickly, "How could she make you want to do research?"

"Maya?" Emiko interrupted. "Oh I think she's a lovely girl. Just lovely… very polite." She took a sip of her water and continued eating. "Oh you haven't met her yet, have you Towa?"

Towa shook her head. "Nope… is she Daisuke's new girlfriend or something?"

"No!" Daisuke said, almost choking. "She's this new girl in my class, that's all. She's sort of odd…" Daisuke looked over at his father and took another small bite of his food.

"So dad… what did you find out about other thieves?"

"Well… everyone knows that Dark was probably the most famous of all thieves in the past 400 years. But recently – and when I say recently, I mean about 200 years ago – there have been reports of another thief operating around the Mediterranean. The local people began calling her Circe, because she possessed powers that they believed only a witch could possess."

Daisuke listened with great interest. "Circe… wait I don't understand."

"Circe was a powerful witch in Homer's _The Odyssey_. In the stories, she turned men into pigs and enchanted an entire crew to stay with her for five years, even though to them it only seemed like five days!" Daiki answered with enthusiasm.

"Oh I get it," Daisuke said. "So because this thief had powers like a witch they named her after a witch."

"Right," Kosuke replied with a nod. "Anyway, unlike Dark, she didn't steal objects that were cursed or anything. She stole them strictly for monetary value. Eventually, a lot of the objects that she stole showed up in the black market and were returned to their rightful owners. But there were still a few things that have never been found."

"Really? Like what?" The story was intriguing Daisuke more and more though he still wondered what any of it had to do with Maya.

"Well, in Circe's case, there were some jewels that she had stolen and those jewels still remain missing today. Jewels like, the Azure Sapphire, said to be one of the most valuable sapphires in the world because of its age. And the Babylonian Emerald, valued because it was believed to have been worn by Babylonian rulers of the past. All of these items were never found again."

Dai chewed his food slowly and nodded. "What do you think happened to all those things?"

"It's hard to say but it's most likely that the thief kept them." Kosuke took another bite of rice and the table was quiet again. Daisuke looked around from his mother, to Towa to his grandfather and then his father, all of whom seemed more interested in eating than the story. Daisuke sighed and picked at his food.

"Hey dad," Niwa said to break the silence. "What does all of this have to do with Maya?"

Kosuke looked up and cupped his chin with his hand thoughtfully. "I told you before that she seemed familiar. And when I reread this book I found out why." Daisuke's father grabbed the book and flipped through it quickly. He finally stopped near the middle and passed the book to Daisuke. "Look familiar?"

Daisuke took the book and looked at the copy of the old photograph on the page. The caption underneath it read: _A rare photograph taken of the thief, Circe, in Rome, Italy – circa 1928. _It showed the thief peeking around the corner of a building, completely surprised by the photographer. As Daisuke looked at the photo he could hardly believe his eyes. Staring back at him was the image of a girl with long, dark hair and wide eyes that, even in a black and white photo, sparkled. He'd seen that girl before, he saw her that first day he returned to school.

"I can't believe it," he exclaimed. "She looks just like Maya!"


End file.
